Egypt parliament approves law on church construction despite objections from Christians

The law regarding the construction and renovation of churches in Egypt has been approved by Parliament. Critics fear that the new law will further restrict Christian activity in the state.

The law requires Christians to file an application to the provincial government before the construction of a church. It states that the size of the church should be proportional to the number of practicing Christians in the area. The law also says that "the preservation of security and public order" must be considered before an application is approved.

Nader Shukry, a Christian activist, said authorities may use threats of mob violence as an excuse to prevent the construction of churches.

"What if Salafis protest against the construction of a church, would this prompt the governor to turn down the request, for fear of national security?" he said to AP.

Activists also criticized the section that limits the size of churches according to the number of Christians in the community because there are no official statistics regarding the Christian population.

Ishaq Ibrahim, a top researcher in the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said that the law "empowers the majority to decide whether the minority has the right to hold their religious practices."

Father Sergius, a top official in the Coptic Church, viewed the new law favorably. "The church and the government reached a reconciliatory agreement. Thank God we have this law now," he said.

Churches that were built without permits in the past will be recognized if it meets construction regulations and if rites were performed in the past five years.

The draft of the bill was approved by the Coptics, Catholics and Evangelical Christians in early August but the Coptic Orthodox later objected to the amendments made by the government. It accepted the bill after the denomination's leader, Pope Tawadros II, met with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and with other top Coptic Orthodox officials.

The law was approved by two-thirds of the House's 596 lawmakers. 36 Christian members objected at first but initially voted for the law.